Expandible curling rod



June 28,1949. J. WHYTE' 2,474,449

I EXPANDABLE CURLING ROD Filed April 23, 1946 I o .R. JbHu ZHYTE fl'r' TOR NEY Patented June 28, 1949 EXPANDIBLE CURLING ROD John Whyte, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to: Helene Curtis corporation of Illinois Application April 23', 1946, Serial No. 664,314

4 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements incurling=rods' and particularly to a hair curling rod of 'a kind especially adapted for use in the process commonly referred to as cold permanent waving.

In cold permanent waving of hair. the hair is divided-into a largenumber of individual tresses which are Woimd upon curling rods and thoroughlysaturatedwith a waving solution. After the solution has remained onthe wound tress for a predetermined period of time, the wound tress is subjected' to the application of a neutralizing solution to Wash out the waving solution. Inuse, the: curling rod is held at its ends and applied to theifree'end of a hair tress. It is then rolled betweenthe fingers inwardly towards the scalpto wind the hair tress thereon. Such winding necessarily places the hair tress under considerableitension with the result that the hair tress is :tightly wound upon the rod.

Because a tightly wound curl impedes the penetratiomof the waving and neutralizing solutions to the innermost strands of hair in the curl being processed, it is advisable whereby the wound tress of hair may be loosened sufiiciently-tofacilitate the free flow of the solutions'therethrough. This desireddegree of penetrationoi the solutions is accomplished by the use of a curling' rod embodying features of the present invention, WhiCh'lOdiS provided with novel means to: relieve .the tension of the initially tightly woundi-curi.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide such a curling rod with means for efiectinga: contraction of its. circumferential area so as;-to impart looseness to a curl wound thereon and:therebyiacilitate complete saturation of the waving solutions throughout the entire body ofthetcurl:

Another objectof the invention is to provide a curling-rod of the kind embodying the features Of-LthE present invention, with readily removable means;:.=to clamp a hair tress to the rod preliminary; toxthe winding of said tress thereon.

Another object is to provide a contractable curling rod with. novel manually actuable means to effect'positive contraction and expansion of-said rodpzand'a-further, to provide-novelly attached means to secure a hair, tress wound thereon againstnnwinding.

Other and further objects of the present inventionrw-ill be: apparent from the following descriptionsand claims andareillustrated in the accompanying'drawing, which, by. way of illusto provide means tration-',-:shows a..preferred:embodimentLandLprinszl 5 Industries, Inc., a

cipleithe'reof. Other embodimentsof the inven=- tion, embodying the same or equivalent principle-, may be used and structural changes may be made; as desiredby thoseskillcd in the art withoutdepar-ting from the present invention and the 'purview of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a curlingrod eme. bod-ying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of the curling rod; partly'broken away.

Fig. 3 is a transverse line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal on lined-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detail.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view oi another detail;

- Referring to the drawings, the curling rod comeprisespreferably'a hollow cylindrical body"por+ ticn it formed of a pair of segments Hand I2 whiclniwhe'n assembled, present a longitudinally arched medially contracted member. .Each Ofi the segments ii and i2. is stamped preferably frcmsheet metal stock and includes recesses it: along. the longitudinal edges Which,: when the; segmentsll and 22 are assembled'present' elon' i gated cutout portions 55. Additional elongated cutouts ii are provided in the bodies of segments ii and i2. Intermediate the ends of each of the segments ii and I2 an inwardly directed protuberance i8 is stamped out of the wall of the; segment. Apertures lt'are provided in eachend: portion of the segments H and i2 with the marginal edges of the apertures punched inwardlytoprovide nipples 2!. The marginal ends 22 of the segments Hand 52 arebent inwardly to providev a substantially semi-circular opening ineach' end and to retain the endrnembers 23 an d24d nposition, as willbe presently described.

Endmembers l3 and Min the form'of tapered: plugsv areiarranged to be received in opposite ends: of the body-At to provideclosures therefor. The member 23 is provided with an extension 26 and: includes diametrically opposed longitudinal slots 21; The member 2 3 is providedwithta longitudn! nalbore 28 and, similarly, includes diametrically. opposed longitudinal slots 29. Each of the mom bers 2'3 and 24. is drilled" to provide diametricala bores-3| the axes of which are disposed trans-* versely'at right angles to the axescf the slots 21 and 29.

In assembly, the end memberZi and 24 are positioned in opposite end portionsof the seg mentsfill and- I2 with the nipples-2| received 2' the: diametrical: bores 3 I a With asuitable tool lsectional: view taken on:

sectional view takenlugs 33 are struck out of the edges of the segments II and I2 and are bent inwardly to engage the walls of the longitudinal slots 21 and 29. The relation of the thickness of the lugs 33 to the width of the longitudinal slots 21 and 29 and the length of the nipples 2| is such as to provide for limited movement of the segments H and I2, each in opposite radial directions, but not longitudinally.

An operating stem 34 is disposed in the body portion In and extends through the longitudinal bore 28 of the end member 24. The stem 34 is provided at one end with an enlargement providing a cam element 38, and at the other end with a knob 31, and is arranged for longitudinal reciprocation, whereby the cam element 36 may be moved by means of the knob 31 into engagement with the protuberances [8 in the segments II and i2 to cause the segments to move outwardly radially and cause separation therebetween, thereby providing for circumferential enlargement of the body portion in. One or more projections 38 are struck from the body of the stem 34 to provide an enlargement to serve as a shoulder for limiting the reciprocating movement of the stem 34 within the body portion It.

A clamp member 39 shaped to conform to the contour of the body portion l and substantially arcuate in cross section is provided, at one end, with a pair of spaced legs 4|, 4| which have inwardly turned terminal portions 42, 42 engageable in the diametrically opposed apertures [9 of the body segments H and I2 for pivotally mounting the clamp member 39 on the body. A longitudinal rib 43 is stamped in the clamp member 39 to add rigidity to the structure. The clamp member 39 is intended for securing the end of a hair tress to the body ID of the curling rod preliminary to Winding the tress around the rod.

An elastic retaining member 44 formed of rubber or of a similar material is provided with perforated ends 45 and 46, the latter having a tab extension 41. The member 44 is anchored, at one end, to the operating stem 34 and is adapted to be drawn across the curl, after winding, and to be secured at its other end with the extension 28 entering the perforated end 46. The tab extension 41 provides an area for gripping the retaining member 44 with the fingers to facilitate manipulation. The retaining member 44 is assembled on the stem 34 by stretching the perforated end 45 over the knob 31, and by a similar operation may be removed therefrom. It can be seen that the size of the knob 31 in relation to the stem 34 is such as to prevent accidental removal of the member 44 from the stem 34. When the retaining member 44 is drawn across the curl and secured at both ends of the curling rod, as described above, the stem 34 is canted against the walls of the bore 28 :to retain the stem 34 in one of its positions of adjustment.

In use, the operating stem 34 is first moved outwardly so that the cam element 36 engages the protuberances 18 of the segments H and 12 to effect separation of the segments, thereby to enlarge the circumferential dimension of the body portion Ill of the rod. With one end of the retaining member 44 hanging freely, the end of a hair tress is secured between the clamp member 39 and the medial portion of the body [0. The winding of the tress on the curling rod is best accomplished by grasping the rod at its ends and then rolling the same inwardly towards the scalp. It is evident that such winding of the hair tress would result in a tightly wound curl.

Since it is undesirable to apply waving and other solutions to the tightly wound curl, because of the difficulty that would be experienced in obtaining complete saturation of the innermost strands of hair in the curl, the body portion Ill of the curling rod is first adjusted to fully expanded position, as above described. When the tress is wound upon the rod, the retaining member 44 is drawn across the hair and the rod and engaged with the extension 26 to secure the hair against unwinding. Thereafter, the operating stem 34 is manipulated so that the cam element 36 is moved out of operative engagement with the protuberances l8. As a result, the segments II and i2 are permitted to move towards each other resuming their normal position and presenting a contracted body structure. The curl is now relatively loose on the rod to complete saturation of the hair with hair waving solution, but is secured against displacement by the retaining member 44.

It should be evident that the curling rod of the present invention embodies novel features making. it highly useful for cold permanent waving of the hair, since it includes means to initially retain the hair tress in place on the rod and means for securing the wound hair tress in place even after said tress has been loosened by contraction of the rod extended therethrough. The cutouts it and I! also have the useful purpose in aiding the penetration and circulation of the waving solutions, because the solutions may flow freely through and over the curl and pass downwardly into the rod through one or more of the cutouts and reenter the curl upon flowing outwardly through other of the cutouts back into the curl.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described herein, it should be understood that the features of the invention may be incorporated in curling rods shaped other than the particular shape of the rod illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A curling rod comprising in combination a pair of segments shaped to form a tubular body, an and member retained within each end of said body, each of said end members having diametrically opposed longitudinal slots, inwardly turned portions on said segments loosely engageable in said slots to retain said segments in assembled relation but to permit limited movement towards and away from each other, and an operating stem slidable in said body and arranged to cooperate with the inner surfaces of said body to urge said segments away from each other to expand said body circumferentially.

2. A curling rod comprising in combination a pair of segments shaped to form a tubular body, an end member secured at each end of said body, each of said end members having diametrically opposed longitudinal slots, inwardly turned portions on the longitudinal edges of said segments engageable in said slots to retain said segments in assembled relation but to permit limited movement towards and away from each other, and cam means slidable through one of said end members and arranged to cooperate with the inner surfaces of said body to urge said segments apart to expand said body circumferentially.

3. A curling rod comprising in combination a pair of segments shaped to form a tubular body, an end member held within each end of said body,

each of said end members having diametrically opposed longitudinal slots, inwardly turned portions on said segments loosely engageable in said slots to retain said segments in assembled relation but to permit limited movement towards and away from each other, cam means slidable through one of said end members to cooperate with the inner surfaces of said body to urge said segments apart to expand said body circumferentially, clampin means on said body for securing a hair tress While it is being wound thereon, and means for securing the hair tress against un- Winding.

4. In a curling rod, a pair of segments shaped to form a tubular body, each of said segments having at each end portion an inwardly directed nipple and inwardly turned marginal flanges, an end member arranged at each end of said body, each of said end members having a diametrical aperture and longitudinal slots arranged on an axis at right angles to the axis of the diametrical aperture to receive the nipples and the marginal flanges of said segments respectively, whereby 5 to retain said segments in assembled relation.

JOHN WHYTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

